Telescope



Dec. 26, 1939. A. LANGsNER' TELEscoPE original Filed Nov. 2, 1934ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 26, 1939 TELEsCoPE Adolph Langsner, Chicago, Ill.,assigner to Eugene Dietzgen Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofDelaware Original application November 21934, Serial No. 751,242.Divided and this application February 4, 1938, Serial No. 188,595

2 Claims.

My invention relates in general to telescopes and has more particularreference to telescopes adapted for use in surveying instruments such aslevels, transits, and the like, the present application comprisingsubject-matter divided from my copending application, Serial No.751,242, filed November 2, 1934, which application has matured intoPatent No. 2,126,335, Aug. 9, 1938.

An important object is to provide telescopes of improved streamlinedappearance and of simplied construction whereby operation of theinstrument is facilitated, the operating parts being designed to excludedirt, moisture and other foreign matter from entering the same and causing deterioration.

Another important object is to improve the appearance of the telescope,as well as to reduce wind resistance voffered by the exposed parts whenthe instrument is used in making precision measurements out-of-doors.

Another important object is to provide a telescope having an adjustablepart therein and adjusting means accessible from outside of thetelescope and operable to adjust the part within the telescope,including closure means for preventing entry of' foreign matter `intothe casing of the telescope.

Another important object is to provide an instrument comprising atelescope having an im- 30 proved eye-piece assembly giving astreamlined appearance to the end of the telescope and affording meansto adjust said eye-piece while substantially preventing the entrance offoreign matter into the barrel.

35 Another important object is to provide in conjunction with theeye-piece an internal reticle and adjusting means for the reticleaccessible from outside of the telescope, including a closure assemblycomprising a frame and a removable cover carried by the frame forenclosing the reticle adjusting means.

Another important object is to provide anfinstrument comprising atelescope having focusing means shiftable within the barrel of thetelescope 45 and adjusting means accessible from outside of the barrelof the telescope for shifting the focusing means within the barrel anddust-proof means affording connection between said focusing andadjusting means.

Another important object is to provide a telescope having an eye-pieceremovable as a unit from the telescope to facilitate repairs andreplacements.

Another important object resides in providing an eye-piece adjustable byrotating an exposed portionof the eye-piece assembly on the barrel ofthe telescope, while protecting the interior of the eye-piece againstthe entrance of foreign matter; a further object being to form a scaleand a cooperating index mark on lthe exposedV turnable portion of theeye-piece and on an adjacent portion stationary with the barrel of thetelescope.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description, which, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, discloses preferred embodiments of the invention.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure l is a perspective view ofl a telescope embodying my presentinvention;

r Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the eye-piece end of thetelescope, taken substantially along the line 2 2 in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially 'along the line 3-3 inFigure 2.

To illustrate my invention, I have shown, on the drawing, a telescope I5of' substantially streamlined appearance. Thetelescope in theillustrated embodiment comprises a tubular barrel ll' of preferablycylindrical configuration, which may be belled or enlarged at one end asat I9 to receive an objective lens assembly 2|. The end of the telescopeopposite from the objective lens` assembly may be provided with anadjustable eye-piece assembly 23, the exposed portions of which arepreferably shaped toa bullet nose configuration in order to improve theappearance of the telescope and reduce wind resistance. A laterallyprojecting manually operable knob 25 may also be provided upon thebarrel of the telescope to enable adjustment of an objective focusingslide of any suitable or convenient form within thev barrel of thetelescope. Opposite the inner end of the eye-piece assembly 23 across-hair reticle 2l' is arranged. This'reticle comprises a partadjustable within thebarrel of the telescope as by means of threadedadjusting screws 29 mounted radially on the reticle and extendingthrough a circumferentially arranged series of openings in the wall ofthe barrel opposite the position occupied by the reticle therein.

The screws 29 have heads received in a closure assembly 3| 4carried onthe barrel and comprising a frame 33 formed with an annular channel 35,inpwhicli the' heads of the adjusting screws 29 are received. Aremovable cover 31, adapted for mounting on the frame in position tosealingly enclose the heads of the adjusting screws 29,'isl

provided. p

It is an important object of my present invention to prevent ingress offoreign matter into the interior of the barrel of the telescope at theopenings through which the adjusting screws 29 extend, as well as at theadjustable eye-piece assembly and at the focusing knob. To this end, theframe 33 comprises an annular collar having inwardly facing surfacessnugly seated upon the exterior surface of the telescope and havingportions extending on each side of the adjusting screw openings. Thecollar forming the frame 33 has portions 39 of reduced sectionalthickness and provided with perforations in alignment with theperforations of the telescope barrel, through which the adjusting screws25 extend. The frame 33, on at least one side of the perforated portion39, is flanged to provide a shoulder il defining one side of the groove35, and the portion 35 is extended as at i3 at the other side of thegroove.

One or the other, or both of the spaced portions lii and i3 of the framemay be threaded to receive correspondingly threaded portions i5 formedon the cover 31.

In the illustrated embodiment the portion il is threaded to receive acorrespondingly threaded portion of the cover while the portion @3 ofthe frame provides an abutment for snugly engaging a flanged portion 69of the cover when the same is secured on the frame. The flange 49 may beand preferably is of yielding character, so that as the cover istightened on the frame, the flange i9 will exert a resilient wipingpressure upon the abutment 433 in order to seal the parts against theentrance of foreign matter therebetween into the space 35. I may alsoimpose a sealing gasket 53 between the parts i3 and 4S, if desired.

I prefer also to form the cover 31 and the frame 33 to provide asubstantially streamlined appearance on the telescope when the parts arein closed position. To this end, the frame 33 has portions 55 extendingalong the barrel of the telescope away from the shouldered portion 4|.The outer surfaces of the extension portion 55 are preferably Curved, asshown, in order to impart a pleasing streamlined appearance. The innersurfaces of the portions 55 preferably snugly engage the barrel of thetelescope at least at the terminal edge of the portion 55, although theportions 55 may be internally grooved or pocketed as at 51 in order toreduce weight and also toafford a space in which a sealing medium 53 maybe assembled in order to prevent seepage of foreign matter along thebarrel of the telescope within the sleevelike frame 33. The outerperipheral surfaces of the cover 31 are preferably curved to continuethe configuration of the outer portions of the surfaces 55 and also maybe knurled as at 59 to facilitate attachment or removal of the same frommounted position on the frame 33.

The barrel I1 of the telescope carries focusing means comprising ashiftable element carrying a focusing lens within the barrel between theeyepiece and the objective cell 2|. The shiftable element preferablycomprises a sleeve mounted for longitudinal movement within the barrel,and focusing is accomplished by moving this sleeve in order to vary thespacement between the objective cell and the focusing lens carried bythe sleeve. I provide suitable dust-proof means for shifting thefocusing sleeve within the barrel of the telescope in response tomanipulation of the knob 25 outside of the barrel.

The eye-piece assembly 23 comprises an adjustable element shown as alens-carrying tube permitting axial movement of the same.

slidable in a sleeve |41 in order to focus the eyepiece on thecross-hairs of the reticle 21. The sleeve |41, in turn, is supported inan annular sleeve-like support frame or collar |49. The lens-carryingtube or frame projects at its inner end beyond the sleeves |41 and |139,said inner end being supported in an adjustable collar |5| mounted atthe inner end of the sleeve |49 by means of the adjusting screws |53,the sleeve being carried in the collar |5| by means of a split sleeve|52 of resilient material, which is carried by the collar in position tosnugly receive the tube and hold the same centered in the collar whileThe inner end of the sleeve |61 is threaded to receive a holding collar|55, which rests on a shoulder formed in the end of the outer sleeve|159. The sleeve |49 has an annular outstanding rib |55 adapted tosnugly engage the interior of the barrel i1 to hold the assembly inaligned position and the sleeve |89 is threaded at its outer end |51 forengagement with the end of the telescope barrel, which iscorrespondingly threaded as at |58. The outer end of the sleeve |41projects outwardly of the threaded end of the sleeve |65! and carriesfixed thereon an annular manually-operable element |59, the surfaces ofwhich are knurled as at iti to facilitate manipulation of the same.Inwardly of said knurled surface, the element |29 is provided with anannular groove |63 defining an annular lip |55. The sleeve |131 extendswithin the member |59 to a point substantially opposite the lip |65 andis formed internally with an annular bead |61 snugly engaging the outerend of the lens tube M5 so that the same is supported by said bead andby the collar |5| at the other end of the assembly. The tubular lenselement ifi-5 projects at its outer end beyond the bead |61 and isthreaded as at |59 to receive a cover |1| affording a peep hole |13preferably provided with a manually operable shutter |15 opposite theouter end of the lens tube |155. The cover |1| has cuter lateralsurfaces formed to continu-e the conguration of the outer surfaces ofthe part |59, said eye-piece being formed with an annular flange |11tting into the groove |53 and snugly engaging within the lip |65 toprovide for relative longitudinal movement between the parts and It!when the part 59 is rotated on the sleeve |49 while preventing theentrance of foreign matter into the assembly between the relativelyslidable flanges and |11. If desired, the space enclosed by the flangesmay be lled with felt gaskets to catch any foreign matter enteringtherebetween and prevent the same from progressing between the slidingsurfaces of the lens tube #S5 and the support sleeve |51. The holdingnut |55, of course, holds the member |55) snugly against the end of themember |49 but since the former is turned on the latter in adjusting theeye-piece, I may arrange a felt gasket in the annular space |19 to catchany foreign matter entering between the sliding surfaces of the parts.

To accomplish axial shifting of the lens tubo M5 in response to rotationof the part the tube carries a pin HM, which extends outwardly thereof'through a slot |83 in the rotatable sleeve iil anda slot in the sleeve|119. The slot |555 is parallel with the of 'the tube M5 so that thesame may slide axially but not turn. The slot |83, however, is iagonalso that as the sleeve li'! is turned, the movement of its slottedportion will shift the pin back and forth in the slot and thus cause thetube M5 to shift axially with respect to the frame IEB.

il D

If desired, the peripheral surface of the rotatable member |59 and theadjacent rim of the sleeve |453, which is stationary withv the telescopebarrel, may be formed with an index |9| and cooperating scale |93adapted to 'indicate the adjustment of the eye-piece. The scale |93 ispreferably on the rotatable head |59 while the index is on the rim ofthe sleeve element |51.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the eye-piece assembly may beattached on and removed rom, the telescope barrel as a unit; that theunit is dust-proof and that its exposed portions aford an attractivestream-lined appearance in the telescope. The reticle closure assemblyaffords means preventing foreign matter from entering the telescopebarrel while at the same time furnishing an attractive streamlineappearance on the telescope.

Finally, the assembly provides for substantially dust-proof operationofthe internal mechanism from the exterior of the barrel, the exteriorportions of the focusing assembly being of attractive streamlinedappearance.

t is thought that the invention and numerous ofl its attendantadvantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it isobvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction, andarrangement of the several parts of the illustrated apparatus withoutdel parting from the spirit or scope ofy my invention .or sacrificingany of its attendant advantages,

the preferred modes and forms herein described being merely for thepurpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows: 1. A telescope comprising abarrel, an annular support sleeve element sealed in said barrel, and

sealed thereto at the end thereof, an adjusting sleeve element in saidsupport element and having an end extending outwardly of the barrel,said adjusting element having a collar thereon at the end of the barrelin positionV to engage and form a running seal with said support sleeveelementsaid collar forming with said support' sleeve element, an annularchamber at the end of 'the barrel, resilient packing means in saidannular chamber to prevent the entrance of foreign matter into thebarrel between said support and adjusting sleeves, and tubular lensedelement supported within said adjusting sleeve element, and having anend projecting outwardlyl of said u manually operable collar andvcarrying cover means, said cover means and collar having tele'scopically intertted flanges forming a sliding seal therebetween toexclude foreign matter from entering therebetween and penetrating thencebetween the adjusting sleeve element and said lensed element,cooperating means on said lensed element, said support sleeve lelementand saidadjusting sleeve element, and comprising a cam member on one ofsaid elements, and intersecting slots in the other elements forreceiving said cam means .whereby to longitudinally move the lensedmemberwith respect to the barrel Whensaid adjusting sleeve is turned inthe support sleeve as by manual operation of said collar.

2. `A telescope as set forth in claim 1 wherein the cam means comprisesa pin on the lensed element, said support sleeve element having a1ongitudinal slot formed therein, and said adjusting sleeve elementhaving a helical slot, both slots receiving the pin in order to shiftthe lensed element longitudinally Without turning the same when saidadjusting sleeve is turned.

ADQLPH LANGSNEa

